Monday, January 17, 2005
On The O'Reilly Factor...
Segment Summaries
All content taken from The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel. Each weeknight by 6 PM EST a preview of that evening's show will be posted and then updated with additional information the following weekday by noon EST.
Talking Points Memo
Remembering Dr. King
"The African-American community would be an entirely different place had Dr. Martin Luther King not been assassinated. Dr. King had his roots firmly grounded in Christianity and non-violent confrontation. If Dr. King were alive today, I believe he would admire Bill Cosby's crusade to hold individual adults responsible for bad behavior. King would deplore 'gangsta' rap music, the drug world, gangs, unfettered welfare, bad schools, disrespect for authority, and the denigration of the English language. Dr. King would be appalled by the secular culture and the demonizing of Christianity. The question is, why has a leader like Dr. King not emerged since his death? No one else commands the respect that Martin Luther King did, even after 37 years. You don't have to agree with everything Dr. King espoused, but his overall demeanor and philosophy put him in the hero category. Today the USA badly needs another Martin Luther King, Jr. Pray one comes along."
Top Story
Homegrown terrorism?
Guests: Dr. Casey Jordan, Western Connecticut State University

On a homemade DVD called "Stop Snitching" young American thugs are seen making violent threats against anyone who would dare testify against them. Rev. Eugene Rivers compared inner city hoodlums like these to Al Qaeda terrorists. "We have a group of young men in the United States," Rivers said, "who would by any rational definition be called terrorists. And the black community must draw a line in the sand. Bill Cosby was right--the new civil rights struggle is about what's going on internally in the community. Law abiding black men must form alliances with the police and defend the people who are simply trying to obey the law." Criminologist Casey Jordan explained the gangster mentality that is rampant in some communities. "These criminals have deep networks of people, and a sub-cultural code of silence and brotherhood that transcends family. It has to do with the fact that you don't snitch."
Impact Segment
Could Iran be next?
Guests: Fox News military analysts Lt. Col. Bill Cowan & Col. David Hunt

According to an article by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, administration officials are planning military action in Iran. Fox News military analysts Bill Cowan and David Hunt weighed in on the likelihood of such an attack. "Iran has supported terrorists in Iraq," Hunt told The Factor. "They're spending time and money kill our soldiers, and are killing Jews in Israel. Iran is a bad place, and we have to get them to stop sponsoring terrorism. But there is no plan to attack Iran tomorrow." Cowan suggested the Pentagon should be making contingency plans for military action. "I would hope we're running some operations into Iran. The bottom line is that I don't think we're preparing to go to war with Iran right now, but it's smart to be doing our homework, so if we have to do something we do it right."
Unresolved Problems Segment
Army officer sentenced
Guest: Attorney Guy Womack

Army Specialist Charles Graner has been sentenced to ten years for abusing Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Graner's attorney Guy Womack explained why he kept his client from testifying in his own defense. "It was a tactical decision. We had strong witnesses, and we had covered all the points I had wanted to cover. We felt very good going into closing arguments." Womack argued Graner was simply following orders at Abu Ghraib. "He did his duty as he saw it. The jury believed he was ordered to do what he did, but that it was unreasonable to follow those orders."
Personal Story Segment
Dr. King's legacy continued
Guest: Alveda King, pro-life activist & niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

After undergoing an abortion herself, Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece Alveda King became a pro-life activist. "Right after Roe vs. Wade," Alveda King recalled, "I made the decision to abort a child. When I woke up I knew I had done something terrible. There are many women who regret our abortions." She claimed that, were he alive today, her uncle would agree with her position. "Martin said the Negro can not win if he's willing to sacrifice the lives of his children. And when we abort our children, that's what we're doing. That baby has no attorney, that baby has no voice. And when we take that life, we're going beyond our own rights."
Factor Follow Up Segment
Democrats, politics & God
Guest: Author Jim Wallis

The Democratic Party is trying to connect with religious Americans, and some Democrats have asked author Jim Wallis to help them improve their standing with people of faith. "What the Democrats need to do," Wallis said, "is talk about moral values in relation to their agenda. Poverty is a moral value, protecting the environment is a moral value, war is a moral value. Martin Luther King wanted to make poverty a national moral question. Let's start there, by reframing policy issues in moral terms."
Back of Book Segment
"Control Room" controversy
Guest: Capt. Josh Rushing, U.S. Marine Corps

Former Marine and U.S. CENTCOM spokesman Josh Rushing quit the service after his appearance in a documentary apparently annoyed the Marine Corps.
Books Mentioned


God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It
by Jim Wallis

Read more...